(Updating earlier copy)
Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Junaid Sehrai, son of Kashmiri separatist leader and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Ashraf Sehrai was among two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Nawa Kadal area of old Srinagar.
Five security personnel, including a Commandant, were injured today in the encounter, which marked the first gunfight in the capital city in two years.
“In last night operation’s 2 militants were killed. They have been identified as Junaid Ashraf Khan from Srinagar and Tariq Ahmed Sheikh from Pulwama. Junaid is the youngest son of Hurriyat’s Chairman Mohammed Ashraf Khan,” said J&K DGP Dilbag Singh.
Addressing a press conference after the operation, DGP Singh said that Junaid Sehrai was Hizbul Mujahideen’s divisional commander for Central Kashmir. His aide from South Kashmir’s Pulwama district was also killed.
Sehrai is from Hyderpora area of Srinagar. He originally hails from Kuwpara district, he said. “Sehrai was heading Hizb in Central Kashmir districts especially Srinagar and Budgam,” the DGP said.
To a query that whether the two slain militants were planning any strike in Srinagar, the J&K Police Chief said that they were tasked to lure youth into militancy and to intensify grenade throwing incidents. “Sehrai would hold meetings with the youth and lure them towards militancy,” he said. His associate Tariq was active in Pulwama and Shopian districts, DGP said.
He said that the operation at Nawa Kadal was a clean one in which a residential house caught fire which was controlled immediately. “The first thing we did in the morning was to evacuate the inmates. In that process, two forces personnel—one from CRPF and another from J&KP’s SoG were injured. In the final assault, the remaining militant hurled a grenade in which three CRPF men sustained injured, but all the injured are stable,” he said.
When asked how many militants are active in Srinagar, the DGP said that number keeps on floating and in entire Central Kashmir, the number is just 14. About the total active militants in Kashmir at present, he said the number is far less than the last year.
“Not more than 240 militants are active in Kashmir,” he said, adding that 73 militants were killed this year so far and 95 militants and their associates were arrested. On whether the local militant recruitment was up, he said that there is a significant dip in the local militancy in Kashmir compared to previous years.
It is pertinent to mention that this year Hizbul’s chief operational commander Reyaz Naikoo was killed in an encounter at Beighpora, Pulwama on May 5.
In the latest encounter in Srinagar, security forces laid siege of a house in Kanemazar in Nawa Kadal late last night on the basis of a tip off about presence of terrorists there, officials said.
The encounter broke out in the wee hours after contact was established with terrorists, a police official said.
After initial contact and exchange of firing, an explosion took place after which there was no firing, police sources said.
A massive search operation was on at 3 am with police and CRPF personnel trying to find out whether the terrorists were killed. “It’s dark and nothing is clear. Let’s wait for the first light. We have sealed all entry/exit routes,” a police officer said earlier.
After a silence of five hours, the exchange of fire resumed following dawn and went on for hours.
Around noon, the police said one terrorist was killed.
In the afternoon, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar, said a second militant has been killed in the encounter. “Both the slain militants belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Arms and ammunition have been recovered from the slain militants. Their identity is being ascertained,” he said.
During the final assault, three CRPF personnel, including a Commandant, sustained splinter injuries after the surviving militant lobbed a grenade at the forces. “They have been hospitalized where their condition is stated to be stable,” a CRPF official said.
Earlier in the morning, a CRPF jawan and a J&K policeman from Special Operations Group (SOG) sustained injuries in the gunfight.
The security forces are carrying out search operation as firing has stopped.
As the gunfight raged, internet services on mobile platforms and voice calling were suspended in Srinagar district to prevent anti-national elements from spreading rumours.
The old city of Srinagar, which houses Nawa Kadal, used to be the hotbed of terrorism in late 1980s and early 1990s but it has not witnessed much terror activities lately. Today’s gunfight took place after about two years.
